Governor RN Ravi appoints IAS Soumitra Mohan as secretary in first post-poll reshuffle

In the first administrative reshuffle following the West Bengal Assembly election results, Governor R. N. Ravi has appointed senior IAS officer Soumitra Mohan as his secretary. The move comes within 24 hours of the declaration of results, signalling the beginning of bureaucratic changes after the political transition in the state.

Soumitra Mohan, a 2002-batch IAS officer, had been serving as the secretary of the state Transport Department for over three years before this appointment. Notably, he remained in the same role throughout the election period despite multiple administrative reshuffles carried out during that time.

The appointment also ends a prolonged vacancy in the Governor’s secretariat. Shortly after assuming office on March 12, R. N. Ravi had requested the state government to appoint a secretary within a week. However, the process was delayed due to the election schedule. The post had effectively remained without a permanent appointment since February 2023, after the removal of then principal secretary Nandini Chakraborty during the tenure of former Governor C. V. Ananda Bose.

The earlier episode involving Nandini Chakraborty had triggered significant attention, as she was removed from the post soon after her appointment amid political controversy. She later went on to hold key administrative roles, including Home Secretary and Chief Secretary. Against this backdrop, Soumitra Mohan’s appointment is being viewed as a significant development in the evolving administrative and political landscape of West Bengal.